A dear friend recently introduced me to Charlie Felker and Don Carducci, two West Point graduates and combat veterans that conducted seven tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. As the mom of a West Point Cadet, I was very honored to have the opportunity to speak with these gentlemen and learn about how they are currently working to change the lives of millions of young people.

Both Charlie and Don witnessed the long-term effects of head injuries during their time in service and the need for an immediate, accurate, and objective concussion-screening tool. After leaving the military, Charlie and Don created Remove From Play Testing and partnered with the founder of the King-Devick test to change the way sports programs detect concussed athletes.

You may have heard more in the news recently about the effects of concussions in professional athletes, but did you know that nearly 4 million American athletes suffer sports-related concussions annually? Sports-related concussions are happening daily, and most of those concussions go undetected.

I’m passionate about what Charlie and Don are doing, because I have been the scared mother riding in the back of an ambulance with her son after a sports-related concussion. I know that we owe our young athletes a better sideline treatment during their favorite games. I also know that with the help of other concerned parents we can make our voices heard and demand that our principals, athletic directors, and coaches have these sideline concussion-screening tests available.

Remove From Play Testing is leading a change in sports injury protocols across North America. The RFP Testing provides a safer sporting environment for teams with quick and accurate concussion screening that determines whether or not to remove from play. The test can be administered by parents and coaches in minutes. The test is an accurate and reliable method for identifying athletes with head trauma and has particular relevance to: football, hockey, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, rugby, baseball, softball, cheerleading, and all other contact and collision activities.

I have created a digital toolkit, The RFP Team Mom Playbook, which will equip any mom with information about RFP Testing and tips on how to get this test for your child’s school and club sports. I encourage you all to download and share this information within your communities. I appreciate you for taking the time to read this letter and review The RFP Team Mom Playbook. I know that together we can make sports safer for our children.